1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle seamless interior panels for concealing and deploying an airbag.
2. Background Art
Airbags are widely known throughout the vehicle industry. Currently, a number of designs exist in which airbags are configured for deployment in vehicle compartments. Deployment of airbags through interior panels of a vehicle is also widely known. An airbag for an occupant in a passenger compartment of a vehicle is typically designed to deploy through a front interior panel of the vehicle. Typically, a hinged portion or a door portion of an interior panel allows an airbag to deploy therethrough during an impact of the vehicle, providing support and cushion to the occupant.
However, designers of interior panels and airbags have been challenged with providing effective deployment of an airbag while providing a pleasing aesthetic appearance on an interior panel through which the airbag may deploy. Designers of interior panels have also been challenged to provide such interior panels in a cost effective manner. An interior panel may generally have a retainer portion and a door portion through which an airbag may deploy. In several designs, the retainer portion circumscribes the door portion which comprises a substantial portion of the panel. In these designs, the interior panel has a visible seam having low resistance to normal or shear stress to allow deployment of an airbag therethrough. This seam clearly distinguishes the door portion from the retainer portion of the panel. Manufacturers of interior panels have met the challenge with limited success in providing an interior panel as described above with a non-visible seam.